Electrolytic apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE. i

"WILLIAM E. GBEENAWALT, OF DENVER., COLORADO.

ELEcTnoLYTIc APBAEATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb..6,'1917.

Application led August 1B, 1913. Serial No. 785,256.

lb all figlwm it may concern:

Be itlinown that I, WILLIAM E. GREEN- .awAI/r, a\ citizen of the United States, and resident osthe city and county of Denver', State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electro# lytic Apparatus.

It relates more particularly to the elec-` trode bell (or electrode cell), and has for its object `the overcoming of certain construc- `tional diiliculties in'securing the diaphragm,

and in collecting and withdrawing electrode gases from the electrode bell.

One of the diiliculties in the construction of electrolytic apparatus, especially"` if corrosive solutions, such as copper sulfate, are

Y released gases, due to electrolysis, such asoxygenand ozone, if,for example, copper'` 'sulfate is used as the electrolyte. The diiiicult'y is vincreased by the type of bell @nl struction herein suggested. u A

posed, preferably, of frame anda diaphragm fabric B interposed be' used-as the electrolyte, is, that the ordinary materials of construction cannot bc used; Copper and leadare frequently used-instead of iron, but these metals lackstrength, are difficult to shape, andare not wholly unaffected. Iron bolts are cheap, highly satisfactory and are alwaysavailable injnumer-v ous standard sizes, but unless suitable pro-` vision is made for their protection, they cannot be used.

It is theobject of this invention to', so protect the `iron bolts, in the construction of the electrode bell, that they may be used witliout serious injury.l Under certain conditions, it also becomes diiiicult to collect the Referring tothe accompanying drawing, Figure l shows a transverse section ofthe apparatus and Fig. a longitudinal 2Vsection.

the frame 3 is used to prevent 4the cloth or fabric from ballooning upward by frame 3h,

lnl the right hand half ofthe `figuresissllown a mod ilied arrangement, iuvhich the released gases, and s lants slightly toward the outside periphery of the frame.

In the anode bell, 1l is a top'piece above' the diaphragm and forms the sidey Offthe anode` bell, 4 is a bottom piece below' the diaphragm, and-12 a bolt by means of' which the various parts are securely bolted together, and thus Iforming the anode4 bell.

In this way the anode bell can be constructed quite free from leakage. Ordinary iron bolts are preferably used in the construction. Thebottorn piece 4 is provided with countersunk holes 4or grooves for the bolt heads, and when rthe `bolts are in posif, tion and the apparatus constructed, the bolt heads and bolts areprotected by pieces of.

wood or hard coal tar, 6, which effectively prevents the electrolyte from coming in con-` t'ct with'the iron. The preferred way 'of' protecting the bolt heads is to dip a plug or strip of wood in hot coal tar and then insert the' plagar or strip into the groove, and

overthe bolt head. The coal tar will set'and thus hold the plug or strip in position while at the same time excludeany possibility of the electrolyte coming in immediate contact ,with the bolt.v The nuts,;not beingin con.` tact with the electrolyte, may be tightened` as desired. The coal tar in the lowcrpiece also acts as an insulator' for the current.' In the diaphragm `frame, 15 representscross'- pieces to support the fabricat'the intervals desred.` T licre is danger, in this cQnstrLi/ei trappedin the-under side of the diaphra un.

tion of lthe anode bell, from gases becomhg= andxtliusreduce the efficiency of the 'proc ss. To overcome this, ymeans, such as auger holes or saw cuts, 13, are provided 4for. the.` I escape ot such gases.v ,In'the construofion',`

asfshoun on the left half of the drawings, the escape of the gases is -facilitated `bythe sloping dialihragm whichconducts thefasesg, i

toward the escape holes, so that they onge removed from the sphere of influence of the',` electric current. anode gases is ordinarilyctaken care of by re at,

providing for a tight anode bell, butthis presents .certain lundesirable features. lIt is quitev impossible to' make the anode ,bellH will diluted 5 if thenpnissu're fis outward thelfe'seape cit-.gases 'cannot be prevented.' To overcome these difficulties the anode, is

arranged with a liquid seal 8, into which is tight, and if the suction is inward" the-gases-- fitted a hood 7, and the gases collected in the hood are withdrawn through the duct 9. The anode is perforated so as to allow the gases to enter the hoodl as rapidly as formed, and so as not to interfere with the electrolytic action. To prevent any gases from escaping from the outside of the anode, al'lange 16 is projected downwardly along the outside edge. This flange should be insulated by some insulating paint or coating. f

The bell may be suspended by the rods 17, and the anode by the rods 10, from the outside rim of the liquid seal. These rods may also act as the electrical conductors to the anode.1 The current Ienters the rod 10, passes to the anode 5, through the electrolyte, and to the cathode 14. It may be withdrawn from the cathode in any. convenient way.

It is evident that theanode bell may also be used as acathode bell by reversing the direction ofthe current, or, in general, it may be designated as an electrode bell, and may contain either the anolyte and anode, or catholyte and cathode. Nor is it intended to limit the invention form of electrode bell; various modification-sare obvious, and it is thought that the fulll description given will enable any one skilled-in theart to make such modifications without diliculty.

If desired the electrode bell may be oscillated from the suspending rods 17; the anodes may remain stationary, and the raised bottom cathode, piece Serve as a guide.;

The bolt heads are best protected by inserting into the countersunk holes an acid proof cement, which., on setting, completely fills the hole and thus effectively protects the bolt head from the action of the electrolyte; or the bolt head may be incased in lead;4 If the bolt head is incased in lead it may be desirable, in some instances, to omit. the bottom protective pieces G, and clamp the diaphragm fabric directly between the diaphragm frames.

I claim': 1. In velectrode bell of electrolytic apparat'us, a. top. piece forming the sides of the electrode bell; a bottom piece a diaphragm boltedbetween the toppand bottom pieces;

means of protecting the bolt head from the direct action of the electrolyte, and means, in' the frame so constructed, for the escape of gases from the under side of `the 4diaphragm. j f

2. In' electrode be'll of electrolytic apparatus, a top piece forming the sides of the electrode bell; a bottom piece; a diaphragm supportedby a diaphragm frame and bolted between the top' and bottom pieces; means with the bottom piece of protecting the Abolts from the corrosive action of the electrolyte,

to this particular 'in the electrode through which t gases from the under side of thel 3. In electrode bell of electrolytic apparatus, a topV piece forming the sides of the electrode bell; a bottom piece; a diaphragm bolted between the top and bottom'pieces; means with said bottom piece of rotecting the bolts from the action of the electrolyte,A and means in the bottom piece for the escape of gases from the under side of the diaphragm.

4.' In-electrode bell or' electrolytic apparatus, a .top piece forming the sides of-the electrode bell; a bottom piece; a diaphragm bolted between the top and bottom pieces; means with the bottom piece of protecting thebolts from the corrosive action of the electrolyte; means for the escape of gases from the under side of the diaphragm; a perforated electrode in the electrode bell; a

hopd over the electrode, and a liquid seal between; the electrode and the hood. r

5. In electrode bell of electrolytic apparatus, an electrode in said 'electrode bell; a

hoodv over the electrode; a liquid seal between the hood and electrode for the collec- I G. In electrode bell of electrolytic apparatus an electrode in said bell; a'hood for the collection of electrode gases; a liquidseal between the electrode and hood; erforationse gases are delivered to the hood, and means connected with the outside rim of the Seal for the suspension of the electrode and the introduction of the electric current,

7. In electrolytic appa-ratus, an anode; a

hoodg aliquid seal between the ,anode and' hood, perforations in the anode through which the electrode gases are delivered to the hood, and cross-pieces interposed between thje electrodes suspended 'by supports passing between the edge of one of the electrodes and sides of theelectrolyte tank, and means for oscillatin'gthe'cross-pieces.

8. In electrolytic apparatus, an electrode; a hood; a liquid seal between the electrode 'and thehood, and means of oscillating the electr-odd'.relatively to the electrolyte.

9. In `electrolytic apparatus, an anode; a hood; a; liquid seal between the anode and the hood, and means of moving the anode and hood relatively to the catho 10. In electrode bell of electrolytic apparatus an electrode inI said bell, a. hood for the collection of the electrode gases, a liquid seal between lthe electrode and thehood, per-` forations in the electrodevthrough which the gases are delivered to the hood, and means V supports for Slmpend and 13 E EN ANVALT. 

